Great Ways to Explore Your Own Backyard

Did you know that Te Araroa – The Long Pathway – the continuous 3,000km walking track from Cape Reinga to Bluff offers many attractive day or overnight walks as well as section tramps lasting anything from a few days to a week or more? Walking the whole thing takes 120 days and it links in settlements, townships and cities with marae stays and other cultural experiences, as well as food and accommodation. You can plan the exact length of your walk from your living room.

There's a huge wealth of country, lake and sea to be found on the Department of Conservation website. As well as ways to plan doing the classic big nine Kiwi Great Walks New Zealand is so famous for: Lake Waikeremoana, the Tongariro Northern Circuit, the Whanganui Journey, the Abel Tasman Coast, Heaphy, Kepler and Milford, Routeburn and Rakiura Tracks, it includes updates on what's happening in the national parks. Any new additions to the public conservation estate are easy to find and the site also has all the Department of Conservation campsite info – where they are, how to book and what you need to know.

On top of the usual summer tours by big name musicians, there's a big array of more local music events, exhibitions and celebrations not to mention some first-rate Farmers Markets to check out around the country. Then there is The Winery Tour and a host of food festivals that are worth planning at least a few days break around – and that's not even touching the many sports and cultural events that are on.

One thing's for sure, if you intend exploring the country this year, a great place to start planning is on the web. Just about every major centre and district has special events plus any promotional deals on their websites and these are often well worth considering. Have a look at the Bay of Islands, Whangarei, Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington and Queenstown to name a few.

Instead of driving, the new cheap airfares are seriously tempting, but if you can make the time the big Rail Scenic journeys are a wonderful way to see the country. The TransAlpine was once regarded as one of the Top 10 Rail Journeys in the world so if you have the vaguest excuse, book it!

Then there are all the islands around the country from Tiritiri Matangi through to Stewart Island to visit. Wouldn't it be wonderful to plan a whole year's worth of holidays around food? Now let me see, I'd start and end with seafood and throw in the Marlborough Wine Festival and some music, maybe the Sevens and also sneak in the World of Wearable Arts somewhere and… it could end up being a busy year!